Heat exchanger



5. M. BURTON HEAT EXCHANGER March 21, 1933.

Filed Aug. 18, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 21, 1933. s. M. BURTON HEATEXCHANGER Filed Aug. 18, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 inn ng Mal ch 21,1933. s.M. BURTON 1,902,320

I HEAT EXCHANGER Filed Aug. 18, 1931 s Sheets-Sheet a March 21, 1933. ls} M BURTON HEAT EXCHANGER s Sheets-Shet 4 Filed Aug; 18 1931 J W 0% @yrw gwjmw W March 21, 1933,

s. M." BURTON HEAT EXCHANGER Filed Aug. 18, 1931 5 SheetsSheet 5Patented Mar. 21, 1933 UNITED. STATES PATENT orrlcr.

STUART MELVILL BURTON, F BURNHAM, ENGLAND HEAT EXGHANGERApplication'filed. August 18, 1931, Serial No. 5'57,819,anc1 in- GreatBritain August 18, 193.0.

This inventionrelates to improvements in or relating to heat exchangers,for example radiators or liquid coolers particularly applicable to motorvehicles.

5 For the purpose of the following description, in the interest ofbrevity, the cool fluid which is heated in its passage through the heatexchanger will be referred to as air and the hot. fluid which gives upheat to the .cool fluid will be referred to as water, it beingunderstood that the heat exchanger may serve for the exchange of heatbetween other fluids at different temperatures.

The type of heat exchanger to which the invention relates is built upfrom a plurality of pairs of metallic sheets, each such pair of sheetsconstituting a unit presenting an air passage or passages between thesheets, the

units being so assembled as to present a waterway between each pair ofadjacent units.

Ina radiator for a motor vehicle, for example, the sheets are disposedvertically, .edgewise to the direction of travel of the ve- 5 hicle withthe air passages extending from the front to the rear.

In constructing a radiator or the like according to the invention thesheets are,

pressed or rolled so as to form a series of corrugationsofsemi-hexagonal section along their front and rear edges andimmediately adjacent to each such series of corrugations is formed astrip-like elevation extending parallel to the edges from the top to thebottom of the sheet. One or more additional strip-like elevations,depending on the dimensions of the radiator in the direction of the airflow therethrough, similar and parallel to the aforesaid elevations, maybe 40 formed at intervals-between the front and rear elevations.

Onesuch sheetis applied to the other sheet forming a unit therewith,with the corrugations in register, so that the depressions of thecorrugations of each sheet contact with the depressions of thecorrugations of they as socia-ted sheet, the two sheets being therebyspaced to provide an air passage, the corrugations forming theboundaries of series of nozzles of hexagonal section opening into anddischarging from the air passage. When a plurality of such units areassembled, the strip-like elevations on the adjacent sheets of adjacent'units are in contact withone another, whereby the adjacent unitsare spaced 5,5

apart to afford waterways therebetween, said waterways being closed atthe front and rear by brazing or welding or soldering or otherwiseinterconnecting the units. j

The front and rear faces of theradiator' each present a plurality ofhexagonal cells disposed in staggered relation with the nozzlesaforesaid. V The inner ends of these cells may be imperforate, or, ifdesired, in order to reduce the wind-resisting area presented by theradiator, the inner ends of certain or all of the cells may beperforated, in which event the cells form additional air nozzles openinginto and discharging from the air passages.

Adjacent to the strip-like elevations there are preferably formed rowsof depressions in line with the nozzles, so that the air flowing throughthe air passages may be diffused therein. There may also be provided inalternating relation with said depressions segmental elevations whichproject into the water passages so as to break up the water flowtherethrough. 7 I

In the accompanying drawings Figs. 16 illustrate a heat exchanger in theform of a radiator constructed inaccordance with the invention, Fig. 1being, a fragmentary front elevation, Fig. 2 a fragmentary sideelevation, Fig. 3 a plan view, Fig. 4 a horizon- 8 tal section on thelines l4 of Figs. land 2, Fig. 5 a horiz'ontalsection on the l-ines55 ofFigs. 1 and 2, and Fig. 6 ,a' transverse section on .theline 6'6 .ofFig. ,2. Figs 7-12 show a modified construction, Fig. Tbejing afragmentary front elevation, Fig. 8 a fragmentary side elevation, Fig. 9a plan view, Fig. 10 a horizontal section on the lines 10 -10 of Figs. 7and 8, 11 a horizontal section on the lines 11-11 of Figs. 7 and 8, andFig. 12 a transverse section on the line 12-12 of Fig. 8. Figs. 1315.areviews show ing a further modification, F ig. 13 being a viewcorresponding to Fig. 1, Fig. 14 a fragmentary section on the line14.--14 of Fig. 1

' 13, and Fig. 15 a fragmentary section on the line 15-15 of Fig. 13.Figs. 16 and 17 are views corresponding to Figs. 2 and 3 showing yetanother modification.

Similar parts are denoted by similar reference characters in the severalviews.

Referring to Figs. 1-6, the radiator construction shown comprises anassembly of units presenting horizontal flow air passages 1 alternatingwith vertical flow waterways 2, the air passages 1 being afforded withinthe units, and the waterways 2 being afforded between adjacent units.

Each unit comprises a pair of registering metallic sheets 3 which arepressed or rolled so as to form a series of corrugations ofsemihexagonal section along the parallel longitudinal edges of thesheets. Each sheet is joggled along a line adjacent and parallel to eachof said longitudinal edges to afford a strip-portion located in a planeparallel to the plane containing the central or body portion of thesheet, and oifset from said last mentioned plane in a direction awayfrom the other sheet of the unit. As will be seen, the depth of thecorrugations exceeds the amount of offset of the strip portions 5 fromthe plane containing the body portion of the sheet. Formed midway of thewidth of each sheet 3 is a further vertical strip-like elevation 6. Informing a unit one sheet 3 is applied to another sheet 3 with thetroughs of the corrugations of the two sheets of the unit in face toface contact, the central portions of the two sheets being thus spacedto provide the air passage 1 between said sheets,

v the ridges of the corrugations defining nozzles 4: of hexagonalsection communicating with the air passage 1. The upper and lowerboundaries of the air passage 1 are defined by overlapping and brazingor welding the horizontal upper and lower edges of the' sheets as at 7.When a plurality of units are assembled, the offset strip portion 5 ofadjacent sheets of adjacent units are in contact with one anotherwhereby adjacent units are spaced apart to afford the waterways 2therebetween, the waterways 2 being closed at the front and rear bybrazing or welding or soldering or otherwise interconnecting the units.The elevations 6, as shown best in Figs. 35, extend into the waterways 2and contact with the corresponding elevations on adjacent sheets ofadjacent units along their full length.

It will be evident that, when the units are assembled, the radiatorpresents at front and rear a plurality of hexagonal cells 8 closed attheir inner ends and disposed in staggered relation with the hexagonalnozzles 4, said cells being bounded by the corrugations of adjacentunits.

Formed in each sheet 3, so as to be in horizontal alignment with thehexagonal air nozzles 1, are pear-shaped depressions 9 which serve todiffuse the air streams flowing through the air passages, the widestportions of said depressions being presented to the air nozzles. Due tothe provision of the depressions 9 shallow pockets 10 are formed in thewaterways 2 but these pockets do not act as traps to collect solidmaterialin suspension in the water flowing therethrough. Certain of thedepressions 9, say every fourth depression in each vertical row, aremade deeper than the intermediate depressions, the deeper depressionscontacting with the corre sponding depressions in the other sheet of thesame unit. The provision of the depressions .9 endows the sheets 3 withthe capacity to recover after distortion due to internal strain set upin the waterways 2, the extra deep depressions ensuring that the sheetswill recover even though slightly permanently distorted. V

In the modified construction shown in Figs. 7-12, the pear-shapeddepressions '9 and the elevations 6 shown in Figs. 16 are omitted, andthere are formed in each sheet air nozzles 4, transverse depressions orribs '11 extending between the vertical strip-like elevations 5. Whenone plate is applied to another to form a unit, the depressions or ribstheir length.

In the further modification shown in Figs. 13-15, in order to reducethewind-resisting areapresented by the radiator, the inner ends blockconstruction in- 'which there are pro vided in each sheet 3 between thefront and rear strip-like elevations 5 two rows of pearshapeddepressions 9 and at vertically spaced intervals oval shaped depressions12 of greater length than the pear-shaped depres-i .5

sions 9 and so arranged that the oval shaped depressions 12 in one sheetregister and contact with the oval shaped depressions12 in the othersheet of the same unit. Provided also in each sheet 3 in alternatingrelation:

with the depressions 9, 12 are small segmental elevations 13 which, whenthe units are assembled, project into the water passages 2, theelevations 13 on adjacent sheets of adjacent' units registering andengaging with one another within the water passages 2 and serving tostiffen the radiator structure and to break up the water flow.

The elevations 13 may be arranged in any suitable manner and may beprovided in any of the other constructions shown.

' The construction has many advantages. In the first place the contoursof the sheets permit of great expansion of the waterways,

which, consequently, can withstand consider- 1-12) are perforated, the,

3, intermediate the corrugations defining the 1,

11 on both plates register and contact al0ng;;

able internal strains and are practically immune from bursting in theevent of freezing of the water. The corrugation of the edges givesadditional strength and rigidity to the block. The radiator isconsiderably lighter and is easier to repair than existing constructionsof the same cooling capacity. The arrangement of nozzles opening intoelongated passages in which are distributed stream-like protuberancesformed by the depressions gives the air a swirling movement.

Although for the purpose of the foregoing description it is assumed thatthe sheets forming each unit are initially separate, it will beunderstood that the sheets may be formed by doubling or folding overlonger sheets.

I claim:

1. A heat exchanger built up from a plurality of assembled unitspresenting internal passages for fluid at one temperature alternatingwith passages for fluid at another temperature between adjacent units,each unit comprising a pair of registering metallic sheets havingparallel longitudinal edges, each sheet j oggled along a line adjacentand parallel to each of said edges to aflord a strip portion located ina plane parallel to the plane containing the central portion of thesheet and offset from said last mentioned plane in the direction awayfrom the other sheet of the unit, each such strip portion being formedat each of said edges with a series of hexagonal corrugations of a depthexceeding the amount of offset of the strip portion from the planecontaining the central portion of the sheet, the troughs of thecorrugations of the two sheets of the unit being in face to facecontact, so that the central portions of the two sheets are spaced apartto afford a passage between said sheets, the ridges of the corrugationsdefining nozzles communicating with said passage, the offset stripportions on adjacent sheets of adjacent units contacting with oneanother whereby adjacent units are spaced apart to afford a passagetherebetween.

2. A heat exchanger according to claim 1 presenting on the end faceshexagonal cells disposed in staggered relation with the nozzles andbounded by the corrugations of adjacent units when the units areassembled, said cells being perforated at their inner ends.

3. A heat exchanger according to claim 1 in which at least oneadditional strip-like elevation is formed in each sheet between andparallel with the offset strip portions.

4. A heat exchanger according to claim 1 in which three are formedintermediate the offset strip portions of each sheet depressions andelevations, the depressions projecting into the passage between saidsheet and the other sheet of the same unit, and the elevationsprojecting into the passage between said unit and an adjacent unit.

5. A heat exchanger according to claim 1 in which there is formed ineach sheet at least one row of depressions, each in line with a nozzleand in register with a depression in the other sheet of the same unit.

6. A heat exchanger according to claim 1 in which there are formed ineach sheet rows of depressions and a row of elevations arranged inalternating relation with the depressions, the elevations contactingwith corresponding elevations in the adjacent sheet of an adjacent unit.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

STUART MELVILL BURTON.

